I loved The Nesting by C J Cooke and I was super excited for this one!!

It was a great October spooky read, but I was expecting a little bit more spook. The Nesting was veeeryyy creepy and I was expecting something more like that. It's a great book for beginners or if you don't want to be THAT scared by a book.

This book is great and unique. The idea of being “stuck in a certain age” is so interesting!

I LOVED this for Halloween! A mom (Liv) and her three daughters arrive on a remote Scottish island. She is commissioned to paint an old lighthouse. When they arrive the lighthouse is run down and there is history attached to it. The land was used to keep women accused of witchcraft and when the witches were murdered they cursed the island.


There are tales of children disappearing and "wildings" taking their places.
Then Liv's two daughters go missing.

The story also has a present day version where Luna (one of the daughters) has grown up and is contacted that one of her sisters has been found. The thing is...she has not aged.

I loved the setting and back history of this book! And for a horror book the ending did not tick me off horribly. (At first it did and then I remembered if I can forgive Stephen King a million times for shitting the bed on an ending that I can get over stuff.)

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Lighthouse Witches

Author: C.J. Cooke

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: fantasy, paranormal, horror, thriller

Publication Date: October 5, 2021

Genre: Paranormal Horror

Recommended Age: 16+ (death, violence, gore, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, grief, trauma)

Explanation of CWs: There is a lot of mention of death, violence, and there is some gore. Sexual abuse scene. Abuse in both physical and emotional. There is also grief and some trauma shown.

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 367

Synopsis: When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it's an opportunity to start over with her three daughters--Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she's frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she's initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers--except she's still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she'll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn't realize just how much the truth will change her.

Review: Overall, I liked the story to an extent. It was well plotted and it was an interesting story. I also enjoyed the world building.

However, the book is almost excruciatingly slow and it’s hard to stay into the book. Mid-way through the book I had to stop and read another book because it was still very slow, but I was determined to finish the read. It was a bittersweet ending, one that I saw coming a bit. The characters, while developed, are also hard to connect with. There was also some oddball moments in the book, like with the 2021 numbers where everyone was wondering if they were a mysterious number. It was just a very odd and slow book.

Verdict:

Lighthouses have always been a beacon of hope for sailors but also a place of demise.. we are fascinated by them because of what they represent. They are intriguing to look at and to walk through and wonder what they were like in their hay day. I’m Erin Escaping Reality and THIS… is ‘The Lighthouse Witches.’ (You were supposed to read that in the voice of Aaron Manke 😅😅)

It’s 1998 and a single mother of three daughters is commissioned to paint a mural inside a lighthouse on a remote island off of Scotland. When two of her daughters go missing she learns of an ancient witches curse that (maybe?!) is the reason for the disappearances. Now fast forward to 2021, daughter Luna is older. Her younger sister Clover has been found!!! Hooray right?? Wrong. She is STILL the same 7 year old she was from the 90s. What the heck is happening and why are there scratched in numbers on her skin? Was it the witches? Is she a witch? Is she a doppelgänger? Did she come back to murder people?! I DON’T KNOW!!! (Well- now I do, I finished the book 😏)

This book was a lot. So much happened! A lot to sort through. I loved that it was inspired from history and the Scottish witch trials. The author said something super interesting which I will quote now:

“Cooke said in an interview with Crime by the Book that “there was a witch trial 20 minutes from my home and there’s barely any commemoration for the women who were murdered. Four thousand people–mostly women–tortured and murdered, their names and memories tainted forever…It fascinates and disturbs me, because four hundred years later we still use the term ‘witch’ to slander women.”

As much as I loved the creepy story, the ending wasn’t. I was like, oh, that’s heartwarming and kind of sad. 🤷🏼‍♀️ This is also a book that alternates chapters between 3 different people during the 1990s and 2021 so kind of hard to keep track of. But once you get it- it’s great.

‘The Lighthouse Witches’ just came out on October 5th so if you enjoy a witchy read it’s a great one to check out! I sure got my witch fix for the month!! Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for this gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

‘As you’ll see, cause and effect in this tale do not fit easily together. The pieces are odd and misshaped because truth is messy and porous’. ― C.J. Cooke, The Lighthouse Witches

Perfect Halloween story!

Darkly atmospheric this reminded me of a Stephen King novel. At no point did I feel like I knew how it all would end, which kept me looking forward to reading on. Warning that this does bounce around a lot between people and years, but I felt invested enough in the story to let it play out. The ending was well done and I thought everything wrapped up satisfyingly. 4 stars.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

That book SISTERS was better, no? Well, I’m happy enough to live in a world where we can get more & more of this.

am wholeheartedly a fan of C.J. Cooke after reading this book.

What could easily have been just another book about witches and how horribly women were treated in the distant past (and sometimes even still) was instead refreshing and original.

There are numerous twists in this book and readers will become invested in the lives of the main characters.

The writing itself is fantastic and I was brought to tears more than once while reading.

I rate this book as 5+ out of 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I will be posting more about this book on my blog at

http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com

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Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this book.

The story is a bit all over the place in the beginning, but is deeply built on witches, their persecution, what people do in the face of unknown and how that creates a different reality.

A mom of three runs aways from her life, with her three daughters in tow to an island in Scotland. To do a job, but also to hide from her own reality..

There's a lot of old history in the place, one closely tied to witches. They were persecuted, and burned there. And it's believed they cursed the island and their inhabitants. The locals believe, that a wilding sent by a fae shows up, and the next day your kid will disappear, so they kill these wildlings in order to save themselves.

The story is told in a couple of different perspectives and timelines. And we eventually learn the truth about the wildlings, the magic surrounding the place, and all the characters and their motivations. It was a pretty good read, engaging and magical. A multidimensional story with lyrical and atmospheric writing. Perfect for the spooky season, for those that like paranormal-light.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The Lighthouse Witches is an atmospheric and gothic mystery set in The Black Isle, Scotland. Single mother Liv moves to the remote Scottish island with her three daughters. She is tasked with painting a mural in an old lighthouse. The cave beneath the lighthouse was once used as a prison for women who were accused of witchcraft. According to the townspeople, witches have cursed the island, which has led to the disappearance many local children and the subsequent arrival of wildlings—evil supernatural beings who take on the physical form of the missing children.

I was probably the most interested in the supernatural aspect of this story. Are witches real? Do they have any real powers? Is the curse real? Are the children actually being replaced by wildlings? Are the wildlings evil supernatural beings or are they just innocent children? What are the markings on them and how did they come about? I had a fun time figuring out the answers to these questions.

The story is told through multiple POVs, during three timelines: 1998, 2021, and 1662. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators each did an incredible job bringing this story to life. It was fairly easy to keep track of the three different timelines. The atmosphere is eerie and the whole wildlings thing was incredibly creepy.

I would argue that the build up of the mystery is the best part of the story. I was very invested in the characters and I wanted to know how their story would end. The ending is probably the book's weakest point. It's a satisfying ending for the characters involved, but the supernatural aspect and certain coincidences are kind of left open to the reader's interpretation. It kind of felt like a cop out? The relationships and the main conflicts are both resolved, but there are small things that are still nagging at me. And the ending happened so quickly that it didn't leave that strong of an impact on me, in comparison to the excellent build up.

Despite the lackluster ending, I did enjoy reading this book. If you're looking for creepy and atmospheric book with witches, then I recommend it.

I’m going to be honest–I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. I don’t typically gravitate towards stories centering around magic or witches, so I was hesitant. My worries were completely unfounded because THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES was a pleasant surprise!

Told in dual timelines, the story centers around two girls who go missing on a secluded Scottish Island. The girls lived in a lighthouse rumored to be a prison for women accused of witchcraft in the 1600s. Twenty years later one of the sisters mysteriously returns but hasn’t aged since the day she went missing.

At its heart, this is a solid mystery with historical and magical elements. It felt rooted in reality with Scottish witchcraft folklore woven into the story which worked well for me. The lighthouse island setting made for an incredibly atmospheric read and I loved the exploration of mother-daughter relationships.

Whether you wholeheartedly embrace witchy reads or just want to dabble with a bit of magic, be sure to pick up THE LIGHTHOUSE witches. Perfect for Halloween weekend!

RATING: 4/5 stars
Available Now!

A big thank you to Berkley books and NetGalley for an electronic copy of this book and for including me on the blog tour.

I tried really hard to get into this book, but gave up and didn't finish at 50%.

The setting in Scotland is fantastic and atmospheric as all heck, but there were two different timelines and too many points-of-view for me to keep track of. I kept getting confused and bored because the plot didn't move itself forward very well and I could not keep the characters straight.

You might enjoy this more if you like folklore retellings and don't mind a slow slow moving plot.

This might be in the running for my favorite book of the year. It was haunting and atmospheric, and I had such a hars time putting it down. I couldn't wait ti fond out if Clover and the other disappearing children were actually wildlings, and my heart broke when the truth was revealed. I was thinking about this one long after I finished reading, which doesn't happen often for me. I really, really loved this novel.

This is the first C.J. Cooke book I've read but it will definitely not be the last!

Single mother Liv runs away from a recent realization when she relocates her family to a remote Scottish island. Painting a mural inside a dilapidated lighthouse may not be what she believes is the ideal artist's commission but the location will allow her ample quality time with her three daughters. Told in time jumps with history of both the lighthouse and the witch trials of the British Isles and Scotland, this book kept me wondering and questioning what in the world was going on--but in the best way. Creepy, spooky, and a little horror, this is the perfect story to cuddle up with on a cold autumn night.

Creepy. Chilling. A family drama told in three voices and seperated by decades.
Liv drags her three daughters to a remote Scottish island - in the middle of the night. The owner of The Longing has commissioned a mural - a decommissioned lighthouse to become a writing studio. With the help of a local plasterer, Liv gets started. And learns the history of their new home.
Saffy is an angry teenager - misunderstood, her mother doesn't swem to care. But then Brodie starts talking to her.
In 2021, Luna tells us about her devastating loss - her mother and sisters disappearing, never to be found. Until she receives a phone call - Clover has been found.
Engaging. Family mystery drama. Great writing - you can feel the Scottish weather. History. Well done.

3.5 stars

The Lighthouse Witches takes place in two different timelines. The first one is 1998 and the second one is present-day 2021.
1998 is the mother Liv who has taken her daughters to a secluded Scottish Island to paint a lighthouse and to escape from the problem she is currently facing. The island isn't exactly what Liv thought it would be though, and the lighthouse is surrounded by rumors of what happened to the town's witches in the past. With people still thinking it's haunted and that the curse is still present from what the witches did all those years ago Liv is in a rather interesting position. With three daughters who are all in school and trying to make friends, while also having to have moved once again they are all facing their own struggles. The oldest is the one that is struggling the most as she is a teenager. She runs away and ends up going missing as well as the youngest going missing as well. The town suspects it is witches and by the end of it, all Liv goes missing as well leaving her middle daughter Luna behind.

2021 is Luna who is Livs daughter. She has never stopped looking for her mom and sisters and one night mysteriously gets a call from a hospital saying they have her little sister she is in for the surprise of her life. Her sister is not at all what she thought she would be and Luna ends up with far more questions than answered. With her sister constantly asking to go back to the Scottish island Luna eventually agrees where things get even stranger. But questions finally get answered and the mystery of the town's witches is finally solved.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. It ended up going in a different direction than I was expecting it to. I still found it enjoyable, was just not thinking that's what it would be. It was easy to keep track of the time changes and it did help to figure out the entire story to go from time period to time period as it did. We learn why Liv did what she did as well as the old tales that the town's people believed, while also seeing how Luna was dealing with her life as an orphan basically and how what happened on the island changed her forever. We also see Luna deal with suddenly having a sister back who is not what she thought she would be and is acting stranger than ever.
Without all of the backstory from Liv, we wouldn't be able to piece everything together in the present day time period with Luna. It was a little confusing at times because of how everything was happening, but I think part of that was because I wasn't expecting the final part of it all. I was going a completely other direction in my mind, but the ending that did happen is the one that made the most sense and I liked it.

This was an interesting read and one that I do think a lot of people will enjoy.

Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!

Do you ever have days where you can’t decide what sounds good? That was me yesterday so I just made a mini charcuterie plate for lunch 🤣 I enjoyed it with an ice cold Topo Chico and finished The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke.

Things I liked:
• The format - multi-POV and dual timelines are my catnip and Cooke used them fabulously.
• Goldilocks chapters - not super short or excessively long…just right
• Characters - Liv, Saffy, Luna, and Clover were interesting and I loved the realistic family dynamic. I also adored Finn
• Ending - I didn’t figure it out until Cooke wanted me to and it was chefs kiss
• Witchy vibes - LOVED this and it was perfect for October. It was written in a mature way that didn’t come across too dark.
• Setting - Books set in Scotland are another favorite of mine because the atmosphere is incredible!

Things I didn’t like:
• Pacing - the book started off slow IMO. However, this could have just been my issue because I was reading 3 other books
• Ending - I would have liked a little more at the end. I think editing down some of the middle to give more to the end would have worked better for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! It was a great October read and I recommend if you’re looking for a fantastic setting and story different from other books out right now.

C.J. Cooke was born in Belfast and now makes her home in Glasgow. Her previous books are "The Nesting", "The Blame Game" and "I Know My Name". This new release is the fiction SPOTM f(Staff Pick of the Month) for October. The story is set on a small island off the coast of Scotland in both 1998 and 2021, with a small bit set in the 1600's. In 1998 we meet single mother Liv and her three daughters, Saffy (16), Luna (10) and Clover (7). Liv has taken a commission to paint the inside of a lighthouse with a mural and they have traveled to the remote island with plans to stay for a month. The island people have numerous stories of witches and wildings (supernatural children that look like their own children and are sent to end bloodlines). When Saffy and then Clover go missing, Liv is frantic and seems willing to try anything to get their safe return. In 2021 Luna is an adult now and expecting her first child. When her sisters and mom went missing she was raised in foster care, but has looked for them for years. When she is informed that that Clover has turned up on the island she heads there to reunite with her, but is shocked at what she finds. This is a fun read for anyone looking for something a little 'spooky' this Halloween season.

Not particularly my cup of tea, but I still finished it. I have patrons that will definitely eat it up from beginning to end, so I'll be purchasing several copies for the library. Thank you!

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke paints a chilling and atmospheric Scottish gothic that follows the lives of a mother and her three daughters across different decades.

1998: Liv is an artist hired to paint a mural inside a lighthouse on a small island off the coast of Scotland. She’s moves there with her daughters (Sapphire, Luna, and Clover). However, the mural she's been commissioned to paint includes strange symbols and she swears she keeps catching glimpses of a child in the lighthouse.

2021: After Luna's sister has been missing for 20 years, she mysteriously reappears—only she’s unaged. Luna’s baffled, so she tries to get to the bottom of the mystery and find out if this girl truly is her sister or if some supernatural being is trying to trick her.

First of all, I really love the author really plays into the story’s coastal setting and sheds light on Scotland’s bloody history of witch hunts. I’m so used to American gothics set in haunted houses that I find a cursed lighthouse is a refreshing change of scenery

Also, as a fair warning, this is not a straightforward story. It’s a tad confusing at first and hops between different characters and timelines. However, the structure thematically reflects the idea that time is not linear and history and events echo across all of time. It’s twisty and turvy, but gradually the puzzle pieces fall into place with a surprise reveal that shocked me.

Overall, The Lighthouse Witches is a witchy mystery that kept me guessing throughout, and I recommend this book if you’re looking for an unusual haunt!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Scottish author C.J. Cooke brings us a tale of gothic horror, set against the backdrop of a spooky lighthouse on the Scottish islands. “The Lighthouse Witches” is creepy, magical and immersive, full of folklore and urban legends.
Single mother Olivia is looking for an oppourtunity to flee from her life, and when she is commissioned to paint a mural on the wall of a lighthouse in Scotland, she immediately packs up her three daughters and makes the trek in the middle of the night. But when two of her daughters vanish, Olivia is frantic. Townspeople tell her stories of the caves that lie underneath the lighthouse, where women labeled witches were held before being burned at the stake. Rumour has it these women placed a curse on the town- ensuring that children from the town would continue to disappear, leaving wildlings in their place, and the only way to abolish these shape-shifting demons is for their parent to kill them. Twenty two years later, Luna is the only sibling who survived, having been taken into foster care after her mother disappeared. Luna is desperate to avoid thinking about her past- until a young girl is found wandering who claims to be Clover, Luna’s sister who disappeared twenty-two years ago.
Unfamiliar with author C.J Cooke, “The Lighthouse Witches” caught my eye solely because of the Scottish setting and folklore, and the “witchy” component, and Cooke delivered on both in spades.
“Witches” is narrated in two time periods (1998 when the family moves to the Scottish lighthouse and 2021 when Luna returns) by both Olivia and Luna (with the eldest sister, Sapphire, taking over some narration in the 1998 storyline). Each section and narrator is clearly labeled, and the overlapping plot lines flow well and easily into one another. There is also a historical grimoire found on the island that is read by Sapphire, and covers the historical component of the island itself.
Initially, the novel had so many stories to tell that each chapter seemed to have enough to substantiate its own story. However, as the novel continues, and the components begin to connect with each other, and the plot merges into the intriguing and page-turning tale I expected.
“The Lighthouse Witches” has an Alice Hoffman element to it, which fans of “Practical Magic” will flock to, and the Scottish backdrop will have “Outlander” fans daydreaming of brocks and cairns (the city of Inverness makes an appearance). Both Olivia and Sapphire start out as difficult characters to like, but as their backstories are unveiled, it was impossible not to bond with them. All of the women in this story are completely charming and likable, regardless of their flaws. The heart-warming ending provides a delightful conclusion to the plotline. I was pleasantly surprised by Cooke’s writing skill and prowess, and will definitely have to check out more of her work!